i just got permission to hunt 60 acres........it is hills and hollers with a few growed up fields.......do alot of ya'll hunt the ridges ...i know alot of hunters taking bucks on the top of the hills .....feeding on acorns.....this place is a bowhunters dream....big timber.....some spots are thick....with a field growed up going into the hills......has a small pond ......i have not scouted it out yet ......but i'm going to.........give me some tips on what to look for.......thanks......

Bobcat:
Congratulations on the new hunting spot. First thing that I would do is get a topo map and aerial photo of the area. These will help you locate such things as benches, saddles, and funnels. Bucks like to walk the edges of benches so they can see what's above and below them at the same time. Saddles are those low areas between two hilltops. Deer like to use these as they are easier to get to the other side of the hill instead of having to climb over the higher points. They really funnel the deer. Funnels are those naturally occurring tight places like a thin patch of woods between two fields, etc. All of these things can be found on topo maps and aerial photos and will cut your scouting time drastically. That way the less time spent stomping around in the woods, the less likely you are of spooking the deer. These are just a few, but I'm sure that there will be others with helpful hints too!

here is the aerial map.....you go north that is my hunting land.........hills and fields.....

Being in Tenn watch where the sun falls in the morning and afternoon. You can have cold nights and deer love full sun when bedding down. Also think of protection against the wind.

Good luck!

thanks mouse.......